


At Dusk

by fondofit



Category: Dishonored (Video Game), Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-13
Updated: 2014-02-24
Packaged: 2017-12-29 07:39:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1002742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fondofit/pseuds/fondofit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It takes a while for things to fall into place, but with a push you find yourself intermingling your fate with an Overseer General.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I.

The cool night air doesn’t phase you anymore. It’s been a long time since it has, since the Outsider has given you his gift, you’ve felt a warmth that never leaves. You’ve passed it on to your gang, your River Rats, but you know you feel his pull, his warmth the strongest. On a night like this, it’s a blessing.

 

Getting inside the Office of the High Overseer is not easy feat, but you make it in unnoticed. You put down a few guards in your wake, your Rats moving them out of the way for the actual rats to take care of. The plague your gang takes their name from still runs rampant in Dunwall and all you can do is sit by and watch as the bodies pile up in the sewers, streets and rivers… or get devoured by those nasty-ass vermin.

 

The building is clean, ornate and crawling with low-ranked overseers. You slip past them easily, blinking in a dark cloud of black magic to the top of a ceiling lamp. The heat of the lamp is warm under your gloves and boots, but you move silently, waiting amongst the shadows until you spot him.

 

You’ve seen his face sketched in leaflets throughout the city. About two years ago, his move up the ranks had been grand spectacle that took more money from the city than he was probably worth. Near the entrance, the Office has a painting portraying the three generals standing watch over a dim City of Dunwall. General Erwin Smith looked almost out of place in such a dark picture, but as you watch him walk across the building, you wonder if the painting was more true to life than you had assumed.

 

He’s walking with another officer, idle chit chat about Hanji Zoe’s newest humanities treatise. You don’t pay attention to their words too much, you keep your eyes on your target. You follow them into his office, a mediocre room compared to the lavish boardroom down the hall. Erwin sits and chats a bit more before he says he needs to do his paperwork and his companion (Mike, you overhear) takes his leave.

 

You wait another half an hour before a voice, one you instinctively know as the Outsider’s voice, coaxes you into moving. You aren’t sure where it comes from, but suddenly you’ve blinked in front of the General’s desk. You pull your dagger out in alarm, unsure of what exactly happened. General Erwin Smith stares at you for a moment before smiling softly.

 

“So the ghost isn’t actually a ghost, is he?”

 

You try to size him up, your whole body on guard, but he sits back with his hands steepling on his desk as he waits for you to answer him. You sneer and scoff as you sheath your dagger.

 

“Of course not. There are no ghosts in Dunwall.”

 

“With the plague as it is now, most people would have to disagree with you.”

 

You pause, wondering if sort of talk is heretical. You’re not familiar with the Abbey of the Everyman, but you are almost certain he is toeing the fine line of their Strictures.

 

“Aren’t you supposed to be a priest or some shit? Anyway, those ghosts aren’t _real_.”

 

Erwin looks surprised for moment before he chuckles, deep and throaty. You feel a shiver run up your spine as you chalk it all up to annoyance. His face annoys you, you reason.

 

“Let it never be said that I’m not unfamiliar with the other religions being practiced within Dunwall. We are the Overseers, afterall.”

 

This draws your attention, he’s staring right at you, his blue eyes piercing and you stare back. You don’t back down, keeping your gaze even as you reply. “He’s interested in you.”

 

Erwin blinks, confusion knitting his brow. You can almost pinpoint the moment when the realization of who you meant sends a shock through him. The sadistic side in you takes pleasure in seeing him struggle inside. He doesn’t know how to proceed and you stand there and watching him internally squirm. It’s so fucking gratifying.

 

“The Outsider…” He murmurs and you suddenly feel the world drop from around you. It’s a feeling you refuse to get used to and, perhaps, that’s how he wants it.

 

The Outsider appears before you in a mass of black mist, the world before you shifting slightly into something completely his. You’re not in his world, you know if you looked behind where you stood your would see the door to the General’s office. His world is a mass of endless murky blue; the color of the ocean barely touched by light. Pieces of Dunwall scattered in impossible and and improbable ways.

 

He takes his usual form of a young man; black hair, average height and average build. His eyes are pupiless and as black as ink. Some say he is the embodiment of a whale, a god amongst the seas. Sailors will say whatever they like, but since you’ve known him he’s been pain in your ass.

 

“Levi,” His voice is smooth as it draws out your name and you want to punch him in the face for it. “Isn’t he interesting?”

 

You’ve never seen him enamoured with a person before and it irks you. You try not to wonder if this was how he reacted to you ten years ago before he offered you his mark. It’s hard to ignore the small smirk on his face as he watches you, gauges your reactions. He has a plan up his sleeve, he always does, but he never shares how the story will play out with you.

 

He doesn’t wait for you to respond. He already has his answer.

 

“You know what you need to do.”

 

You nod and he bids you a farewell. You resist the urge to say “fuck you” as the black mist dissipates, though it takes you a moment to realize Erwin is staring right at you.

 

You stare back at him.

 

“He was just here, wasn’t he?”

 

You don’t answer him, deciding to ignore the question entirely. You both need to go. You want this job over and done with. You start weighing your options of escape. Carrying a man of his size would be nearly impossible for you and your rats.

 

No, there had to be a better way out.

 

“I’ll go.” Erwin pauses for a moment, “Willingly.”

 

You stare him down, wondering how he could read you that easily. His gaze hasn’t moved from you since you’ve entered the room. You don’t dwell on how uneasy that makes you feel. He smiles knowingly and you feel yourself scowl. You want to kick him in the teeth... or shoot a sleeping dart in his neck

 

“How the hell am I supposed to get you out of here? You’re not exactly…manageable.”

 

Erwin laughs as he stands, brushing imaginary dust from his uniform coat. As he reaches his full height you notice he stands at least a good two heads taller than you. You’re not sure what’s pissing you off more, his height or reaction.

 

“You can follow me out. I’ll take my time, but I assume you’d rather get out quickly.”

 

You nod, wasting no time as you blink to the vent above the doorway. Erwin stands in place for a moment before looking up towards the exit. He looks perplexed and it fills you with a little pride. You know it’s always easier for them to find you when there were only a few places you could run off to. You flip him the bird as you turn to leave the room. You don’t think about the amused glint in his eyes or about how you trust him enough to lead you both out unscathed.

  
You don’t want to know where that trust stems from, so you ignore it until that evening as you lie in your bed while staring at the faint glow of the Outsider’s mark on your hand.


	2. II.

The smell of the sea and decomposing whale carcass permeates the air of the place you call home. Before the plague, this town had been a bustling industrial area of dock workers, butchers and their families. The only living people who inhabit the area currently are weepers, those infected by the plague who have not felt the gift of death, and your Rats. There are the corpses varying of degrees of decomposition littering the small rivers that run through this abandoned wasteland. It’s located right outside of Dunwall City proper, but you never considered this area a part of Dunwall. It’s the place that the former Lord Regent had ordered the dead to be dumped. It’s the place Dunwall intended to forget about.

 

This was fine by you. It meant Dunwall wouldn’t notice you and your group of assassins.

 

Your hideout is about six floors above street level in an abandoned office building. You have your own floor, your Rats keeping watch over the premises, blinking in and out while doing their rounds . You can sense every one of them. Those who strongly share your power are the closest to you and your guest. They keep an eye out for any Overseer who may have tracked their unfortunate way over.

 

As of right now, General Erwin Smith is sitting across a dingy dining table from you. Despite his surroundings and your meager hospitality, he was able to make himself look impeccably well. His hair is perfectly in place and his uniform looks so pristine that you would’ve assumed he just had it cleaned. That is, if you hadn’t already known that he had slept in a guarded room across the hall from your office.

 

You stare at him out of the corner of your eye as you drink a cup of watered-down coffee. You don’t ask why he’s here. You _want_ to, but you won’t. You don’t question the Outsider and his whims.

 

_“So the ghost isn’t actually a ghost, is he?”_

 

Those words echo through your mind once more. It was a constant reminder that he had known you were there. It makes you want to punch him in the face, to use your power to possess him and make him wish he’d never come across you. Then again, he had seemed surprised when you appeared before him, he hadn’t known why you had been watching him. You don’t know what he’s thinking, both in regards to being surrounded by followers of a magical entity and having been called upon by said magical entity, but you assume he is trying to be at least three steps ahead of the game.

 

You reason that this must be part of why the Outsider is so interested in him. A little voice in your head whispers that he has you interested in him, too.

 

So here he sits, looking genuinely intrigued in a few new leaflets left on the table. Some of your Rats must have brought them from Dunwall a couple days ago. You’re not quite sure what to do with him other than to make sure none of your Rats decide to take revenge on dead friends and family. Quite frankly, you don’t even want him here. He gives you a feeling of stomach-twisting unease everytime he looks at you. You’d rather put him in one of the empty rooms surrounded by a bunch of weepers… a small sadistic ounce of revenge for those fallen.

 

But the more you sit in his company, the less you feel like making him squirm. You can tell he’s not one of those religious zealots, those men desperate for redemption, that fill most of the Overseer’s lower positions. He’s got a mind of his own and a determination that would inspire a good amount of people to follow him to the ends of the world blindly.

 

He is a dangerous man, you reason.

 

“So… The Outsider?”

 

You jump a little, not expecting him to speak to you. The question in Erwin’s voice makes you wonder how much he actually knows about The Outsider. Then again, you have only met that rat bastard of a ocean god a handful of times. Just because he had given you his “gift” doesn’t mean you’re an expert on him either.

 

“Yes? What about him?”

 

You watch Erwin’s face go through various subtle ranges of emotion, confusion the most prevalent, before he settles on interest. He leans forward onto the table, his elbow scratching bit of wood varnish away with the motion

 

“You had said that I’ve caught his interest, right?” He paused for a moment, looking down at a goldenrod flyer.  He looks up at you, his eyes are almost an iridescent blue. You fleetingly wonder how many men had agreed followed him just by looking into his eyes. He gives a small smile before saying, “I have to say that the Outsider interests me, too.”

 

He has a look in his eye, one of eagerness. He wants the challenge, you realize, and you, for a moment, can pinpoint another reason what it is about General Erwin Smith that interests the Outsider so much.

 

“I’m sure he does. Not that I could tell you shit about him.”

 

His reaction tells you that he doesn’t seem to understand what you mean. You roll your eyes and answer, “As much as I think he likes to stalk everyone he’s given a mark to, he doesn’t actually interact with us very often. As long as we’re ‘interesting’ enough, he’ll let us keep our mark. Some shit like that.”

 

Erwin watches you intently, his eyes glancing at your glove-covered hands when you mention the mark. You can see that he wants to know more, but refrains from asking anything. He’s never going to learn anything if he doesn’t ask, you think. When suddenly his face changes, he looks like the skilled tactician he’s famed to be. You wonder if he can just read people like an open book. It’d sure explain a hell of a lot.

 

“How long have you had that mark?”

 

That wasn’t exactly the question you were expecting, but you’ll take it.

 

“About a decade ago.”

 

You’re frank with him and you can tell he expects that. He seems like the kind of guy who would use his questions to gather information. Dancing around the subject at hand so when blunt answers are given, he’ll be able to put the pieces together to get the full story. You’re respect for him goes up a small notch.

 

“It glows, doesn’t it?”

 

You look at him straight in the eye and reply, “Yes.”

 

“Does it burn?”

 

You tilt your head wondering where he was going with this. To be honest, you feel the mark on your hand every minute of the day. It doesn’t burn per se, but you know it’s there, a constant reminder that will be there for the rest of your life.

 

“Not exactly.”

 

Erwin nods and looks back down to the leaflets. If him looking at the leaflets was any indication, you realize that he wants to know what is going on in Dunwall. He knows his absence would be noticed quickly. No one just disappears in Dunwall unless you are an assassin… or the target of one.

 

“I take it he hasn’t actually talked to you yet.”

 

You’re not sure why you keep the conversation going, but it seems like a better idea than allowing him to wallow in what could be uncertainty. Not that you care.

 

Erwin looks up at you and shakes his head, “Not at all. All I know about--” He pauses, ” _Him_ are from reports and stories I’ve heard throughout my life. The Overseers like to speak of him while not actually doing so. There are stories written about him, but that sort of thing is taboo in the Abbey, as you may have figured.”

 

You smirk, the stories people tell about the Outsider are laughable. Some myths and studies are as close to whatever truths they’re going to get, but what most people ignore is that the Outsider is not a consistent creature of habit. The Outsider makes it his business to find trouble, not people who were obsessed with him. From what you could tell, The Outsider is attracted to chaotic people, yourself included.

 

“Then how did you know I was following you?”

 

You don’t mean to ask that question, but the words fly out of your mouth before you’ve realized it. He’s staring at you, gauging your facial expression. You try to hide how much this bothers you. So you stare back at him, stoic mask in place as you await his answer.

 

You hate yourself for allowing him that advantage.

 

“It was obvious.”

 

Your eyes narrow as the urge to shoot a dart in his throat comes over your again.

 

“You are such an asshole.”

 

You hear him chuckle, deep and throaty. You know he’s enjoying your frustration and it pisses you off even more.

 

“Let’s just say, I have my own ways of keeping a watch for oddities around me.”

 

You look at him for a moment, sizing him up before pushing yourself away from the table. It seems to surprise him, but you motion him to join you with a tilt of your head. as he pushes in his chair. You’re not mad at him, but you feel our patience waning as he plays with his words. You can only take a few probing questions before you’re fed up.

 

“Follow me.”

 

You turn away from him, walking out of the room and down the hallway. You expect him to follow you, smiling when you hear the heavy footsteps of military boots across the wood floorboards. It’s a short walk down the hall, a turn into a dilapidated room, then a climb up a wooden ladder to the roof. The Rats keep out of your way, staring out of the corners of their eyes as you pass by. You know they’re curious about him, but Erwin Smith is yours for the time being.

 

The crisp morning air pours over you as you climb a the last rungs of the ladder to reach the lookout point. You hear Erwin behind you, taking in a deep breath of air as he reaches the outdoors. The smell isn’t so bad out here, the movement of the air keeps the smell of death from just sitting in one place. You hear the wave of the ocean nearby and the calling of ravens and seagulls that flock around the dead on land and in the water. Erwin says nothing as he moves to stand by your side.

 

You look up at him and shake your head.

 

“You are too goddamn tall.”

 

He looks down at you and lets out another chuckle, saying nothing. You wonder what in the hell he’s thinking as he looks at you like that. It’s a look of warmth you’re not used to. Overall, the gesture is a welcome one though you’d never admit it.

 

“How are you even an Overseer?”

 

You don’t mean it to be a serious question, but you say it with such bite that the you feel the atmosphere go suddenly tense. You don’t need to look at him to know that he’s looking right at you, trying to read your intentions. He must see the surprise on your face because with an audible exhale, Erwin releases the unease between the two of you.

 

“I would like to say it had been some sort of illusion of grandeur I had when I was younger, but it wasn’t like that at all.” You could hear Erwin take a deep breath, his voice almost wistful when he adds, “The former Empress, when she was still alive, had been pretty inspiring.”

 

His voice tapers off and you turn to look at him when you realize he isn’t going to continue. He’s staring ahead, eyes squinting in the light as he’s staring at the abandoned buildings that surround the horizon. You assume he’s lost in thought until you hear his voice, low and almost inviting, gently cutting through the noise of the outdoors. He’s humming something, a song that sounds like an old sailor’s tune.

 

A part of you wonders if he’s answering your question without actually using words.

  
You don’t ask him about the Empress or about the song, but you stay on the roof with Erwin listening to him hum until the song ends.


	3. III.

You hear Erwin open the door and quietly walk across the musty wood flooring in your office living space. You were hoping to have gotten in a little rest before the banality of the next day, but apparently the fates decided the opposite. As he slowly makes his way towards you, you wonder when The Outsider was going to show up. Watching over him was getting sort of difficult. The man liked to walk around your floor during the day hours. He’s never strayed too far from you, but he wasn’t always in sight twenty-four seven. You never believed he would actually run, though the thought had crossed your mind, but you were wary of him being alone around your Rats.  
  


After three weeks of no incidents between him and your group, you had allowed them to mingle on a meals-only basis. He would talk about the Abbey to those who were curious, but he would normally sit back and observe the Rats as they joked and told stories of their trips to the outskirts of the city proper. It was how news of outside the building got around to the rest of the group, like bunch of duchesses sitting over tea talking about latest high society gossip. So when you hear him come to your door and enter your room without a word, you have an idea of what is coming. You just don’t want to assume it was what he would see you about.  
  


“Close the goddamn door before you wake everyone else up.” You mumble from the bed. You don’t want to move from your comfortable, warm spot on the old, lumpy mattress. You curl the sheets closer to your face, breathing in the faint smell of soap. You make sure the sheets covering it are as clean as you can get them. A fleeting thought runs through your mind, figuring that it was about time to have them washed again.  
  


Erwin walks the few steps back to close the door gently behind him. You roll over to see his back in the glow of the moonlight, the dust particles mix with the light giving his blond hair a ridiculously ethereal look. At that moment, in the back of your mind, you’re glad that it was a clear night. You sit up as he stands in front of your bed. The look in his eyes tells you everything you already know, you’re just waiting for him to bring it out into the open.  
  


“I want you to do a job for me.”  
  


You can feel yourself trying to hold in a scathing laugh. Was he serious? Of all the ways to request your precious time, _this_ was how he did it?  
  


“I don’t even know how to answer that. No, wait, that wasn’t even a question, was it? Are you _ordering_ me to do a job for you?”  
  


He looks surprised at your answer before grinning when something must have clicked in his Abbey-addled head of his.  
  


“I guess I worded that wrong... Let me try again, “ He clears his throat and looking straight into your eyes he says, “I would like to hire you for your services.”  
  


It was better phrasing, you think, but you still don’t like that he’s asking you to do work for him.  
  


He continues before you can say anything in response.  
  


“The man you had seen me with before I left. I have… I’m certain that something has happened to him.”  
  


“How the hell did you come to that conclusion?”  
  


Erwin pulls something from the inner pocket of his dark Overseer coat. The brightly colored paper make your thoughts freeze. It was a flyer from the outside. You wonder where in the hell he got something like that, but it occurs to you he probably now has connection within your group of Rats. You decide then and there that they will have double cleaning duty for the next two weeks. He unfolds the paper and holds the worn sheet in front of your face. The light from the above reflects off the page, allowing you to read it quite clearly in the dark. Your eyes scan over it, the bold type announcing the capture of the man responsible for Erwin’s disappearance.  
  


“And how is this my problem? Isn’t this better for you?”  
  


You see his eyebrows narrow, his face solemn, “I’m asking if I could pay you for your services.”  
  


You look him in the eye, the iridescent blue boring into you. He’s completely serious. There is a part of you thrilled with Erwin seeking you out, while the other wants to slit his throat for disturbing you. You’re not sure where the first part stems from, but you can tell the feeling is developing the more time you spend in his company. You sigh, wishing you had the energy to tell him off. But he came to you, risking whatever unspoken stalemate contract you had between yourselves. You grab the flyer and fold it eight times, tucking it away in the coat hanging off the bedknob.  
  


“Fine. It’ll be expensive. “  
  


You see the twitch of a smile come across his face. His facial ticks are beginning to piss you off… the soft, almost placating smile he gives you. He’s about to send you into the wolves den and the only repayment you are getting back is an empty gesture… you’re about to say something when he must have seen something in your mannerisms because he’s now kneeling on the floor in front of you, his head lowered. You’re so surprised that the first thing out of your mouth is a whispered, “What the fuck?”  
  


“I really appreciate this.” Erwin says, voice strong, his head still lowered.  
  


You’re not quite sure how to react, your mind frozen in some sort of stupor. You feel awkward when Erwin doesn’t move a muscle, feeling anger boiling in the pit of your stomach.  
  


“ _Get up_.”  
  


Erwin’s head snaps up to meet your gaze. You’re angry for no other reason than his actions showing how subservient he is to your position. Sure, you hold the cards at the moment, but he’s not your “kidnapee” and despite the respect he may hold for you, this was not how you wanted him to show his appreciation.  
  


“Of course,” He says a moment after your command and straightens his uniform as he stands, towering over you at his full height. You look up at him and he looks down, you shrug and join him, stretching your back muscles, enjoying the feel of the relieving, yet audible pop. You walk away from the bed, leading him to a small card table in the corner of your room. A deck of long cards sits in the middle of the table, your offer him the chair opposite yours with a wave of your hand.  
  


“You played the game of Nancy before?”  
  


Erwin looks at the cards, almost hesitant, but nods.  
  


“It’s been a really long time, but I vaguely remember how to play.”  
  


You nod, shuffling the cards and then doling them once they were mixed to our satisfaction. You don’t expect a man of the Abbey to be overly familiar with card games, especially one that plays on the basis that the Outsider exists, but it piques your interest that Erwin would have played it at one point in his life.  
  


“How long?” You ask him nonchalantly, keeping your eyes on the cards as you make one perfect little piles of twenty in front of the both of you. He takes each as they’re given to him, giving nothing away as he measures up his hand.  
  


“Definitely over a decade,” He looks over the cards as you place the eight piles of two cards in the center, making two perfect rows. “Before the Abbey.”  
  


“Ahh,” You say as you place the last card. “We’ll play one game. Then we’ll figure out how to get your friend out. I think that’s fair.”  
  


Erwin looks at you for a moment, confused, but nodding in agreement.  
  


“Yes, quite fair, I suppose.”  
  


 

***  
  


In the end, Erwin wins the game with an air of superiority and a smile that says you’re welcome to play him again.  
  
You throw him a look that counters his and murmur, “Any fucking time."


	4. IV

Your plan was to leave at dusk, to give you enough time under the cover of darkness to move in. The sun’s setting glow of dark reds and purples now illuminates the skyline as you arrive outside Coldridge Prison with three of your most trusted Rats. Your picks are strong, swift and most importantly, quiet. This was a job in which you wanted to be in and out as fast as possible. One of them will stay behind as a lookout on the outside of the prison, while the other two will follow you up to the main building. They would then split up and find different ways of tracking down your target. You give Erd reign to the outside as he motions to you that he’s ready. Petra goes ahead to take down a guard patrolling in your intended path. She hefts the body over her back and dumps it over the walkway railing into the water below. She doesn’t wait for the splash as joins you and Auruo going forward past the gated side entrance.

 

“Sir, do you need us to take the tallboys out?,” Petra’s voice is muffled through the gasmask she’s wearing. You’ve never questioned her decision to wear it when she goes outside of your headquarters. She’s made mention in passing to her peers that’s she’s just cautious of the plague… and for a good reason. She’d lost her father to the illness, having to kill him herself before his mind turned. She had claimed she would rather die than become a weeper and you respect her for her decision. Despite the promise of a cure, there were still too many people affected by the illness. To die a death by a weeper’s hand was almost as bad as getting the illness yourself.

 

You turn to see those horrible tallboy monstrosities marching around. The whale oil tanks’ odd luminescent glow mark them from your position. The disturbing, lumbering walk of those long, twisted metal legs made your skin crawl. They’re patrolling the outer walls, keeping an eye out of any potential intruders. You can tell that they’re ready for action with their weapons at the ready. Each tallboy’s personal miniature spotlight allows them to keep an eye on the shadows surrounding the Prison’s exterior.

 

Tallboys were such a bitch to take out...

 

… Unless you attacked from above.

 

You don’t think about them possibly spotting Erd, you trust he understands how to keep out of sight. You trust all of your team to do their jobs, it’s only the underlying worry in the back of your mind that you can’t shake. You have a mission to focus on at the moment. You have Erwin’s trust in you and you find yourself compelled to keep him from being disappointed in you.

****

During your card game, Erwin revealed that while a lot of things have changed once the young Empress came into power, some things, like the interrogation chair, remained the same under her rule. Mike, your target, was probably being held by men of the Abbey in order to get answers about his disappearance. _Coldridge_ , he had said with a frown, _was were they could get away with more. Assume the worst._ In all honesty, for Erwin’s sake, you hope that this whole mission isn’t for some fresh corpse. You don’t tell Erwin that, but you can tell he’s thinking it too.

 

You keep your eyes open and blink closer to the East side of the main building, your cohorts following close behind. You send Petra to the right, motioning to the outer prison yard, while sending Auruo the opposite way towards the main entrance.

 

After taking a deep breath, you blink to a high windowsill and slip through the opening. Taking in your surroundings quickly, you continue moving up in a cloud of black magic towards the rafters, making extra care not to make a sound in order to listen to people within your range. The guards walking under you were sparse a mixture of city watchmen and overseers. They groan and grumble about how they have to work double duty because of some nobody from the Abbey. Not quite what you need, but at least it brings you slightly closer to confirming that Mike is within these walls. You wait for a slip of the tongue, for someone to give a little tidbit of information. No words from this lot, some were still griping about the Royal Protector, Corvo. You feel your frustration grow and move on down the hall.

 

The inside of Coldridge was interesting. You’ve fortunately never been here, but you’ve heard stories from some of your Rats. The place was a mix of dingy, off-white brick guard stations and iron-barred cell blocks. There was a large, heavily guarded exterior yard in the center of the structure. The holding cells weren’t designated specifically on your rank in society or crime, from what you’ve gathered, making your search a bit more difficult. You make your way further in, looking up to the high vaulted ceilings and their large, metal lamps casting a yellow glow over everything beneath. You can’t reach the higher ceilings, so you decide to use the shadows on the floor. It’s riskier, but you figure you’ll use the perspective change to your advantage in order to follow and listen in on the patrolling guards.

 

You’re not quite close enough to the cell blocks. Currently, you’re making your way past a room, which, you assume, enacts as breakroom for the city watchmen on duty. There’s a strong cigarette smell wafting down the hall, intermingling with the stench of potted eel meat. You frown at the odor and decide to take a closer look. You move in closer in order to hear those inside more clearly.

 

Inside, you hear a older man with a whooping cough and observe him taking a swig of some sort of booze in a silver flask to wash the phlegm down. His lunch partner, a younger, less grizzled man, eyes the drink, smiling once it was offered to him. You feel like gagging.

 

“You heard about that human bloodhound we got?” The younger guard says before he drinks and hands the flask back. You cringe as the owner lets out another bellowing cough.

 

He clears his throat and replies,“So what? Got ‘em, didn’t we?”

 

“Nothing out of ‘im, though. They say’s they’re going to get Co-- well Lady Emily doesn’t seem to like it that one of her Generals gone missing.”

 

“Not that I don’t believe you… but you’re spoutin’ bullshit. She could care less. It’s that damn Corvo.”

 

“Would you just--- not say that name. He’s got ears around here.”

 

“What? You’d think he’s here just to spy on us? Naw, he’s got the Lady to watch out for.” The man takes another drink of his flask and spits half of it on the floor when he goes into another coughing fit. The other man waits for a moment, clapping him on the back until he looks like he can breathe again. “The Major’s gone for a reason, I s’pect. The poor bloke down in C s’probably the best scapegoat that man’s got.”

 

You feel your body move as soon as the words spill out of that idiot asshole’s mouth. You think you hear the guards question if they’ve heard something, but you’re too far out of earshot to care. You need to _move,/i >. The longer you take the more danger you, your target and your Rats will be in. They trust you to get this done. Erwin, for some unknown reason, trusts you enough to do this for him. You’re going to be paid, he had said, in something so valuable that you’d wonder if this job would be worth it. For Erwin’s sake, it had better be._

 

You end up taking out two guards in the hall of cell block C by smothering them from behind. As you lay the second body down to the floor you hear something that makes you pause. It takes a moment before you recognize the familiar scratching sound of rats. You whip you head towards the noise and see a large group of vermin beginning to surround and chew on the body of the first man you’d taken out. If you weren’t so used to seeing this sort of thing happen all of the time, you’d be horrified. They’re incredibly fast at their job and you feel your stomach turn. It’s not something you want to pay attention to, the small teeth ripping into a man’s body, devouring him until there was almost nothing, but you take the chance given and run down the hall. They won’t follow for a while, if at all, the body should keep them sated for a little while.

 

“So, you’ve come for me this time, huh?”

 

Your feet skid to a stop as your gaze follows the strained, but laughing voice. Mike’s sitting on his bed, looking like he’s seen better days. You look him over. He gives a little greeting wave that makes you scowl. He doesn’t seem out of sorts, but once you look at his leg, you notice something off.

 

“What’s wrong with you?” You say as turn your attention to the lock. Cursing under your breath when you see how intricate the workmanship was. You pull out your picking utensils and start to get to work. You glance at him as he sits up, favoring his left leg.

 

“Hammer to the knee,” He says. His voice is calm, very nonchalant. It was as if he was expecting something of this nature to have happened. “Pretty sure they shattered it, which unfortunately, makes your job twice as hard.”

 

“ _Mother fucker_ ,” Your finger slips as your mind drifts away from the lockpicks and towards your target’s escape. You know for a fact, there is no way in hell you could carry the man. He’s almost twice your height. You look at him and hope that holding him on your back while blinking would suffice for movement until you can call for your Rats to help you.

 

“Erwin doing ok?”

 

You ignore him, scowling as you roughly turn the thin piece of iron in your fingers. The lock gives a satisfying “clink” and gives way. You slowly open the gate and walk to his bed. The leg of his uniform pants are stiff with dried blood. You could smell it in the air.

 

“We need you out now.”

 

He doesn’t reply verbally, instead, he shifts off the bed and attempts to put pressure on his bad leg. If he’s in pain he doesn’t say anything. There is only the death grip on your shoulder for support. He holds himself with his opposite leg, keeping the injured leg off the ground as much as he could. He squats down on his one good knee, injury useless between them, and takes a deep breath.

 

“Just go.” He grits through his teeth and you move.

 

You blink past the rats taking care of the second guard’s body. You feel your target grip your coat, but you ignore it as you focus on a way out. He’s heavy as hell, but you lift his weight as best you could. You know his legs are almost dragging behind. You just need to get out. An area with a window would be the easiest and quickest way you could contact your comrades and escape.

 

As if sensing the thought, Mike whispers close to your ear, “If you go back this way there is easy way out. Go up towards the central yard. It’s open.”

 

You nod and turn down a different hallway. You look up only to find the high ceilings. You keep to the shadows as best you can, taking down guards when you need to. Your burden is starting to weigh your down. Instead of dropping him, for a brief moment you think back to Erwin being overly sincere in your room. You can’t let him down, so you swallow the feeling and continue on, hoping the small burst of adrenaline will keep you going. You almost vocally sigh in relief when a window to the yard comes into view.

 

In a flash, you are both up high enough to stay out of the guards eyesight both inside and out. You’re not sure how much time you have before the jailers will notice two guards and a prisoner missing, but you don’t want to take any chances. You scan the yard for a easy way out of this hell hole.

 

Your eye spots two tallboys and four Overseers with hounds in the yard. Each patrolling an area. You look to your target and he’s breathing heavily, clearly in pain.

 

“Any more bright ideas?”

 

“This was your breakout job, buddy. I just got us outside. The inside of that place smells like shit.”

 

You smirk as you turn back to the area below you, trying to find the best way out. Across the yard and over the high wall, you see the city rooftops where Erd was most likely stationed. It was close, but not close enough. From your point you try to visualize where Petra would now be. She would be to your North and a little to your East and Auruo would be to your South. Neither of them close enough to help your carry your load.

 

You feel Mike shrug,“ We can go over the side of the wall. My leg may be busted, but my arms still work. We go over and we swim to the nearest dock. Simple, right?”

 

“That might be our only option at this point.” You reply with a frustrated growl.

 

Suddenly a rumble comes from above you, the noise that follows is like an ear splitting shriek.

 

_Alarms_ , you realize, _they’ve set off the alarms_.

 

You don’t wait for the man to say anything, instead you sling his arm around your shoulders and blink to a ledge besides the outer wall. You could sense the tallboys springing into alert awareness. They’ll be looking up high and definitely towards windows. You climb over a large spotlight fixture, half- helping and half-dragging your burden behind you. The sound of the tallboy’s bow causes your stomach to drop and you tug the man over the large spotlight, covering him with your back exposed. The sound of an explosion close to your head, and it blurs your senses for a bit. You can see Mike curse under you and you try to move over him and away from danger. Only a few feet left and you’d both be over the wall.

 

You hear the legs of the second tallboy come close, the first probably already reloaded and aiming in your direction. If you only hadn’t had someone to watch over, you’d have taken them both out by now. You back burns fiercely, certain that shrapnel or glass had embedded itself in that blast. The next shot, you know, won’t miss. Not when there were two of them on your tail. You scramble, grab Mike’s arm once again and blindly blink past the wall.

 

The drop and initial shock of water isn’t too bad. The relief of a cold, salty sea is one that you would never have hoped to experience again, but at this moment you are so relieved that you almost drown yourself in its comfort.

 

As your eyes close, you feel a hand grip the back of your coat, pulling you up to the surface. You wince when your face hits the cold air, your lungs heaving water out and oxygen in. You’ve only got a second, but you look at Mike and once he assures you that he’s fine, you both are slowly, but steadily off in the direction of the city proper.

  
By the time you get to a dock you could catch your breath at, the only thing going through your mind is that you hope that your Rats had made it out by the time the alarms went off. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never know what to say in these comment sections, but I really appreciate everyone who reads this. Hope you're enjoying this little crossover!


	5. Intermission I

Erwin often wonders what would have happened if he had never become a man of the Abbey. If he had decided to return home instead and live the same sort of life his Father and his Father’s Father had. He’s had dreams of when he was still a young man working his way through the ranks of the Overseers to get to where he was today. Not once had he ever regret the decision he had made those twenty years prior, but he would find himself wondering about the “what ifs” at night as he stared at the ceiling waiting for sleep to take him. Since arriving in Levi’s hideout, he’s found himself thinking about these choices more often than not.

The more time he spends with Levi and his group, the more he questions what exactly the Abbey strives for. Of course, he has no illusions about the Abbey’s main mission, to wipe out those who follow dangerous magics and spirits as they saw fit. Erwin has his own personal reasons for joining, as do all of the others who end up becoming his brothers, but he was going to use his position for his own means. But while resting on this old, lumpy, mildew-smelling mattress, Erwin ponders over his options on where to move forward.

On this particular evening, as he’s waiting for word on Levi’s return, his thoughts bring him back to when he’d first seen the late Empress. She, unknowingly, was the reason he was so adamant about joining the Abbey. Her underlying mission to unify the Isles. This ideal was something he strove for, something he _believed in_.

Unlike the former Emperor’s rule, Jessamine’s was riddled with political and economic issues which spread across the Isles. He believed that this was no fault of the Empress, but because of turmoils that stemmed before her Father’s time. 

Erwin thinks back to when he’d first caught a glimpse of her, seeing her at some public social event the Abbey had held before the Fugue Feast. It was over fifteen years ago, both of them much younger then in terms of knowledge of the world. At that time, he had been a stranger in a strange land. She gave a encouraging speech about solidarity and strength of all peoples across the Isles. A speech which caught his mind and heart in a way nothing else had. He stood there mesmerized with how she held herself despite the murmurs of opposition in the crowd. He clapped his hands strong and hard when she finished, hoping to drown out those around him. The glow of a job well done seemed to wash over the young Empress’s features as she was ushered out of the area, followed by her newly appointed Royal Protector. As Erwin watched them leave, he had decided then and there that he would carry on that ideal by any means necessary.

He had written to his Mother a week into the Fugue Feast that he would not be returning home. 

After the end of the Feast, he decided to join the Abbey.

Just over a decade later, the Empress had been murdered, her daughter kidnapped and the Royal Protector accused of both crimes.

A rank had been bestowed upon Erwin by then, a mediocre one, but it meant he didn’t have to sleep in the barracks with the other fledgling followers anymore. He was serving in Whitecliff at the time the news of the Empress’s death was announced.

In fact, Erwin mused, it was around then that he had first met Mike. Erwin had literally run into him as the news of her murder rocked him to his core. Mike, for some reason, had walked with him, not knowing what had made him so distraught. Erwin had confided in him then, but he never actually explained what it was about the murder that bothered him so much. Mike, thankfully, had never asked.

From there on, Mike had been Erwin’s companion throughout his service in Whitecliff, and eventually, he had followed him to Dunwall after the installment of Emily Kaldwin as the new Empress. 

Erwin had always found himself fortunate to have missed the rage of Dunwall, Corvo Attano., while being in Whitecliff. He had no doubt, that despite being a Royal Protector and keeping the Empress safe, the man had been through hell after being framed for Jessamine’s murder. He doesn’t blame Corvo’s “ends justify the means” attitude when it comes to the Overseers, but Erwin can hardly absolve the man of all the deaths he had caused. The downed Overseer headcount was part of the reason Erwin’s superiors sent him with Nile Dawk and a few others unwilling men to Dunwall. Luckily, Corvo never showed up again, but the whole place had been on edge ever since. 

Erwin became a Major not three years after Emily had taken the throne. A few more years, he realizes, and she would be as old as her mother was when Erwin had seen her give that speech.

He shifts his body on the bed, the springs creak loudly as he adjusts himself for comfort. His mind wanders to his home and how long he’s been away. He’d never heard from his Mother after his parting letter. Erwin’s not surprised in the least. He doesn’t resent his family and their lifestyle, but with the path he chose there was no way he would be able to contact them again without putting them, or himself, in some sort of danger.

With a sigh, he rolls over to get out of his bed. He was about to make his way towards the window for some air when the familiar sound of a Rat moving through their magic comes from the other side of his door. They knock, which he is grateful for, before entering. The young man, Erd, looks haggard, breathing heavily as he tries to motion for your attention. Erwin waits for him to take a deep breath before asking what the problem was.

“They’ve returned.”

Erwin feels his body go on autopilot as he follows the man down the stairs. The smell of blood fills the air with it’s familiar iron tang. He follows the young man until he notices a gaggle of Rats standing in the doorway, worried murmurs echoing in the room and down the hall. After clearing his throat, the people turn to him and those blocking the doorway move. They stare at him, unsure what exactly to make of his arrival. He notices some look at him with resentment.

Those looks confirmed any doubts in his mind that the mission didn’t go well.

Being in the Abbey means he’s seen a fair amount of bad injuries and even prior to that he’s had seen some horrific ones. _It’s one thing,_ Erwin realizes, _to see such injuries on people you’re indifferent to, but to see them on people you care about…. it’s a whole different gut-churning experience._ He walks into the room to see a young woman bending over what could only be Levi dabbing a dark red cloth over his back. You move to get a better look, but one of the other Rats in the room puts an arm out to stop you. He’s angry, Erwin can see it in his eyes, but keeps you away from Levi. 

Erwin can see the injury, wincing as a cleaner cloth soaks up the blood, another cloth dabbing the area with what smells like disinfectant. He turns away from Levi for a moment, letting the woman do her work, and turns to see his friend sitting at the other end of the room. Mike didn’t look much better. His face was sallow, bags darkening under his eyes, and his leg was propped up on a chair and a towel draped over his shoulders. Overall, Mike looked like hell.

Erwin walks over to him, his gaze resting on Levi.

“You’re goddamn lucky I could swim.”

Erwin looks down at Mike, a rare occurrence, but the other man doesn’t look back up at him. He realizes Mike’s sipping some sort of mulled wine to keep warm... or was it to dull the pain?

“I’m going to own him a lot more than what I intended to give him originally, aren’t I?”

“If I were him, I’d ring you out of everything you’ve got.”

Erwin pauses, not sure how to respond. He stays silent and nods instead as he looks back to Levi. His eyes are open now, but unfocused, and unnervingly staring right at him. Erwin doesn’t break eye contact and eventually the man closes his eyes once again.

“I’m going to call on Hanji.”

Mike now looks up at him now. A decision like this, Erwin knows, is not to be made lightly. 

“I know he’s a bit beaten up, but do you really think it’s a good idea to pull her into this mess?”

Erwin feels a small smile tug at his lips.

“Well, front what I can see, you will probably need a new knee fashioned for you and he we will have to make sure he’s not going to catch some variant of the plague. I think having a woman of the sciences would be a damn good idea, don’t you?”

Mike grumbles into his mug and a Erwin sees Levi open his eyes once more. He wonders if the man is actually awake or if he’s hallucinating. Levi mouths something Erwin can’t quite make out before his eyes close again. Erwin decides while standing next to Mike, the scent of the mulled wine over the stench of blood reaching his senses, that he will hire a few Rats to do some simple fetching errands for him.

Here is how he will begin to pay his debt to Levi.


	6. V.

You feel as if you’re drowning in the ocean. It’s a sudden hit of confusion and suffocation that gets your mind racing for a way to escape from this all encompassing feeling. You open your eyes and realize you’re not underwater. You’re not even on your own normal plane of existence right now. You take a deep breath, the salt in the air prickling your senses. You are in _his_ world once again.

The sight of jagged floating ledges litter this twisted world of ruins and platforms. You’re thankful you’ve never been afraid of heights or the void of nothingness that surrounds you. Seeing this other world makes you wonder if this is how the Outsider sees your reality. A land broken in parts, each Island its own floating bunch of junk; streetlamps sticking out at odd angles, whale oil run carriages half melded to the ground… The angles don’t make sense to someone human, but for someone -- _something_ like the Outsider it could just be a reflection of what he sees as humanity.

You snort, it would probably drive you insane trying to piece together what goes through his mind. You look around the blue-ish gray hue of your surroundings. A large daunting replica of the Office of the Overseer stands a ways away behind you. Large chains coming off the walls and strung across to small floating islands of concrete on all but one side. That specific chain is attached to a large whale, the fins hanging from it’s mouth give off a strange pearly glow. It doesn’t move, frozen in space, but the chain is taut as if it were holding the building in place.

Those huge beasts unnerved you.

You won’t admit it to anyone else, but you’ve purposefully avoided the old whale butcheries like the plague. It wasn’t their crying songs that struck a chord in you, but their immense presence. The one time has come face to face with a newly caught whale was when you were on a run to get a meal. You’d snuck into a refinery hoping to steal a can of meat or a sandwich from one of the dock workers, but took a wrong turn. After crawling around in the sewers full of whale offal, you crawled out from under the massive animal. You moved towards where you thought the canteen would have been when you came face to face with the animal. It’s dark eyes looking straight at you as one of the workers took a butcher saw to it.

You shiver, trying to forget what you felt that day.

It wasn’t long after you tracked down that worker and stole his lunch each day for a week.

It wasn’t long after when the Outsider came to visit you for the first time.

You feel nausea overtake you as you decide it’s time to turn away and move forward. The other islands around you were mainly made of cobblestone and bits of sheet metal. You blink from platform to platform until you come across something that looked similar to your hideout. You move in closer, following the unconventional path to your home.

The whole structure was slanted at a thirty degree angle. Parts of the building were cut away, exposing your Rats frozen in time. Some were cleaning, some were chatting around a table, but they were merely glimpses of the present. You move on. You have an idea where to find the Outsider, so you climb towards your office, blinking in and out of existence with a puff of black magic when the path was out of reach..

Your office is cut away and you see yourself… or a shadow of yourself lying in bed. Your back covered lightly in a sheet, like a newly wrapped body of a plague victim, it only occurs to you then that you had been injured in this mission for Erwin. You notice the man in question is sitting by your bedside, a book in hand. He looks as proper as his title indicates and something inside you is drawn to him. You’re about to raise a hand and touch his shoulder when a low hum the sound of a flock of birds flying away mixed with the crashing of the ocean rings in your ears.

The Outsider appears in front of you, blocking your access to Erwin. You allow your and to drop and your mood sour.

“Levi, Levi, Levi… My little _Leviathan_. I didn’t think you’d go so far for him so quickly. Your choices could be the end of you if you keep following this path.”

You can feel a growl rumble in your throat, “I told you never to call me that. It’s not my goddamn name.”

“It’s fitting for a man like you though, Levi.” He grins as he continues, “A being larger than life itself. You are almost too much for this world.”

“I’m sure you say shit like that to all your little marked cronies.” You hold your hand up, the mark’s was glow unbearably bright under your black glove against the muted sky.

“You seem to be taking care of Erwin well.”

You pause while staring at your hand, slowly turning your attention back to the Outsider. He was blocking your view of Erwin, but you already know his figure is part of the odd world around you. The Outsider tips his head to the side, his black eyes gauging your reactions. He brought you to Erwin on purpose, you realize, he did it for you.

“Erwin is a very interesting man, Levi.”

You see the Outsider’s mouth pull into a smirk. He’s playing you and you know you’re already waist deep into his game. It’s ridiculous, you think, how easily you had been pulled into this farce, but you look around the floating visage of the Outsider to see Erwin looking at the book in his hand. You can almost tell what he’s feeling just by looking at the him. You notice the crease in his brow and the slow downturn of his mouth. Erwin is waiting for something and then it hits you. He’s sitting in your room, near your bedside, concentrating as best he can on the book in front of him and it takes a good amount of your will to remember that this is the part of the Outsider’s illusion.

The Outsider must have seen the recognition in your expression because he continues, the smirk in his voice obvious in his intonations. “Here’s something to think about. What does a man wait for when he has everything he needs? Think about that, Levi.”

He disappears in a sucking puff of black magic and you see Erwin in full before you. He hasn’t moved an inch since you’ve been in this part of the realm, and be won’t, not here. But it looks as if he could start blinking and breathing any moment. You turn away and are met with a void of swirling black magic. 

You turn to look at Erwin once more before stepping through.

\---

You wake up with your face buried in a pillow, groaning as you try to move. Your back aches and burns as you try to push yourself up off your mattress, but you don’t get far as the pain becomes too much to bear. You blink a few times trying to get your eyes to clear up and focus. Once they do, a panic starts to build in you.

You are not in your room. Far from it. This room was warm and inviting, like one of those hotels in one of the elite districts. You’ve seen a couple of rooms before, but you were usually in and out without ever enjoying the luxury of a well made bed or a long hot bath. This room had a warm crimson wallpaper with gold details. The glow from the candle chandelier above gave off the most comforting atmosphere, but you were far from comfortable.

You want to know where the hell you are.

Suddenly you hear the doorknob turn and you are wondering where the hell your dagger is, when a woman with messy brown hair walks in, humming to herself without a care in the world. You feel the chill coming from the hallway. It’s then you realize you are currently without a shirt and that there is a fireplace roaring on the other side of this room. The woman turns to you after closing the door behind her. The bowl in her hands and a towel hanging on her arm are placed on a nearby desk before she starts making her way towards your bed. She finally takes a look at you, pausing before grinning like a maniac and exclaiming, “You’re awake!”

You don’t know what the cause for her excitement is, but she blabbers something so quickly you can’t catch what she is saying as she hustles out of your room leaving the door open and allowing all the cool air to waft in. She returns moments later with one of your Rats in tow.

Petra smiles at you and says, “Welcome back, boss.”

The woman stands to the side, adjusting her thick glasses and just grins for a moment before turning back to the bowl on the desk. She pulls something from her pocket, a small vial, opens it and mixes what looks like small pink stones into the water. She stirs it with her hand as Petra stands before you, pulling your attention towards her instead.

“Where the fuck are we?”

“Visiting a friend of Major Erwin’s. She’s helping with Overseer Mike’s and your injuries.”

It takes you a second, but the memories of the prison escape suddenly rush back to you. You feel your back burn at the memory of the explosive projectile just barely missing it’s mark. You close your eyes for a moment before opening them only to find the woman looking right at him only inches away.

“What the fucking hell are you doing?”

“It’s Hanji.”

You really don’t feel like arguing and you see Petra behind her looking slightly nervous. You wonder if it’s for this person’s sake or yours. 

“What is?”

“Me.”

You sigh, burying your face back in the pillow, mumbling a “fine” in response.

“You’ve had some nasty burns and lacerations in your back,” You hear her voice get further away and the sound of the bowl bring brought over. A soothing scent wafts into the air. You hear her dip the cloth and say, “This might sting… a lot.”

You hiss as the warm cloth is spread across your back. The burning ache came tenfold, but only for a moment. The heat was replaced with a refreshing cool feeling, numbing the pain quickly.

“What the hell is it?”

“Just a mixture I made up. Actually, I haven’t had any practical burn victims to sort of test this on. It’s mainly been… other animals. Either way, your injuries were cleaned out well enough that we don’t need to worry about infection. As long as we keep an eye on them. We just need them to start scabbing over. After this dries, we’ll start with the balm and wrappings. You’ll be able to sit up soon enough.”

You nod as you feel your eyes growing heavy. The cool feeling spread across the skin of your back and the atmosphere of the room makes the whole situation feel like a dream. A mixture of hot and cool. You listen to Hanji drone on as Petra listened, nodding to to her, seemingly rapt in the one sided conversation. You allow your eyes to close, drowning out the woman’s words and succumbing to sleep.

\---

The next time you wake, you assume it’s been a few hours. Instead of your subordinate sitting in a chair on the other end of the room by the fireplace, you see Erwin lounging back and staring at the fire. You stare for a bit, unsure of what to make of him. 

_What does a man wait for when he has everything he needs?_

Does someone like Erwin have everything? He wouldn’t have willingly left his position if he had. What kind of person has everything in a world that’s falling apart at the seams? You shift, the sheets scratch against your skin by your waist, catching one of the burns. You suck in your breath sharply as the pain ebbs. 

“Awake?”

You will your body to calm down, yawning as your stretch as best you can under the circumstances. You feel your legs pull as far as you can make them, your toes contorting in odd angles, trying to work out the soreness you feel all over your body. You let out the breath you’ve been holding and reply, “As much as I can be.”

“You’ve been in and out quite a few times.”

You don’t answer, your gaze drawn by the low flame framing his figure. You almost feel like laughing at the weird juxtaposition that runs through your head. Erwin is warmth and fire, the Outsider the cold and water. Of-fucking-course.

“Hanji is one of my associates. I met her during my.. well, a long time ago. She was still a student at the Academy of Natural Philosophy. She had just left to do her own studies recently. Luckily, she was able to get this place just outside of the Distillery District.”

“Looks like something that’d fit the Golden Cat.”

Erwin smirks, his face is half in shadow and you find yourself watching his facial tics. The Outsider chose him for a reason and piecing together his reasoning is starting to get to you. He shakes his head as he answers, “Not too far away from there, actually. It’s just down the river.”

You nod and then remember, “How’s your friend?”

That, oddly enough, Erwin laughs at. “Mike has seen better days, but he’ll thankfully pull through. At least that’s what Hanji said. He’s already gone under her knife and is recovering. Apparently, once a kneecap is shattered, you just need remove it…”

You feel your stomach twist in a weird way, suddenly cutting him off,“That’s great… Listen, about the escape--”

Erwin stops you by holding up his hand. He reaches into his coat and pulls out a tightly wound rag. As soon as you see it, you feel the mark on your hand burn. Inside your head you hear mumbling voices call to you from from the object. You feel yourself being drawn to it. It takes you a moment to realize that what he’s holding is either a rune or a bone charm…

What in the watery hell of the Outsider is a man of the Abbey doing with a bone relic?

A man who had worked his way up to being a Major, at that.

He slowly unwraps the cloth, careful of the odd edges. You’re not sure what to make of it. The last you knew about the Overseers were that they mercilessly killed those who practiced magic and worshiped the Outsider. They stomped out cults and hunted those like yourself with the mark. They protected the state from people like you. The shine of the bone makes you gasp. It’s pure, a magic so strong you can literally feel from your bed. 

“It’s been in my family for generations. Part whalebone and walrus tusk. The markings are similar, but it’s not Gristol-made, I can say that for certain.” He brushed the cloth over it once, twice, looking at it fondly before holding it out to you. “Part of your payment.”

You look at him before reaching out with your glowing hand. He places it in your palm. The weight of the rune is unnaturally smooth, but once it was in your hand the voices calmed to silence. You feel relief wash over you as the breath you didn’t know you were holding slowly releases. As he said, the bone markings were familiar but they were slightly different from the other runes he owned.

“Levi.”

Your attention is drawn away from the rune and back to Erwin. His blue eyes were intense, eager for something you were unsure of. But you nod, bringing the rune to rest on your pillow and instinctively hold out your hand one more. He takes it between both of his. They’re warm, but you notice the glow on the back of your hand does not fade.

Erwin must notice because he murmurs, “Later, please.” You concede, making a promise to yourself that you will drill him for answers once you are on your feet again. But for now, you allow him to hold your hand between his until sleep comes over you once again.


	7. VI.

You don’t know how she’s done it, but Hanji has recruited at least three of your Rats into helping her with whatever inane experiments she has going on in her lab. You sit at a table she’s been using for storing her books and notes. A part of you wants to knock them over, just to gauge everyone’s reactions, but you know that’s your idle mind trying to act out. 

Being out of your bed for over a week, but unable to actually do anything has been bothering you to the point of thinking that taking Hanji’s tweezers and plucking out dead rat hairs would be a fun activity. You almost spilled your tea in your lap when you came to from that notion. You’d like to go out and explore the area. From what you’ve been able to see from an attic window, you are currently a few blocks away from the Golden Cat. You’ve seen the few elite strolling along the streets, without a care in the world. You’ve watched them enter the establishment and leave looking extremely satisfied. You’ve been tempted to send a few of your rats to pick their pockets, anything to wipe their smug looks off their faces, but that would risk giving your party away.

You remember who they are, just in case… You’re not above blackmail if need be.

You currently have a couple of your rats scoping out the area. You don’t believe anyone from the Abbey would step foot in there, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep all of your variables in check. The Golden Cat has been off limits to most of the general public since Corvo’s supposed visit. The Madame decreed that only certain individuals be allowed entrance. And if the rumor was true, it was because of a certain Royal Protector that caused the Madame to suddenly wear a fanciful scarf to hide the bruising that wrapped around her neck.

You sip your tea, something sweet and foreign that Hanji had placed in your hands when you settled down in the chair you are currently sitting in, and watched your teammates following the mad scientist around. They looked like they were enjoying themselves. Keeping busy while their leader recovered. You feel a deep sense of pride considering how the majority of your group stayed with you. Normally, when a gang’s leader ended up getting caught, injured or killed, the gang would disband and go off to other groups or start up one on their own. You believed you trusted your followers more than most leaders. They were yours and you allowed them to claim you.

“Don’t think too hard, you’re going to spill that tea and then where will we be?”

Mike was sitting on the other side of the table, a cup in his hands and his leg propped up on a two footstools. He had been stationary since arriving to Hanji’s place, bedridden from the surgery performed on his knee. Then one day he just appeared in Hanji’s lab. He claimed he moved because it would be easier for Hanji to keep an eye on his recovery, but Levi believed the man was getting a bit stir crazy from sitting alone in bed. You figure that the movement of both the scientist and her assistants keep him from dwelling on his injury.

You take another drink of your tea, swallowing the now lukewarm drink.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in bed recuperating right now?”

He laughs, looking at the hurried figures from across the room. You glance over, noticing Hanji with a few vials in her hands. She’s holding them to the light, her tongue sticking out. Her assistant, you think his name is Moblit, grips a writing board in one arm and quill pen in his right hand. Both have the look of tension-filled amazement written on their faces. Hanji is murmuring something as he is writing as much as he could.

Mike stares, smiling slightly as he answers, “I don’t see what’s wrong with sitting here and doing the same thing. At least this is entertaining.”

“Until she lights the place on fire.” You mutter back. 

He snorts, taking another drink. “I’ll put up with what I need to. I can only stare at the wallpaper for so long before my mind makes me think the little designs are talking to me.”

You turn to him, watching him as he watches Hanji’s group. Mike is strange, you think, in a different way from Erwin and in the same vein as Hanji. You wonder how well he knows Erwin and how much he knows about why Erwin is involved with you at all. You finish your tea and pace the mug on top of a stack of books.

“You know Hanji is going to make those kids of yours part of her group.”

It doesn’t bother you, the idea of your Rats leaving you. Sure, they’ve become some sort of family to you, but your group exists to survive. If they find a new place where they will live happily and flourish, well, who were you to stop them? 

“They’ll do what they want. I’m not going to stop them if they really want to stay. I’m not bringing them down with me.”

“But you’ll take Erwin”

He turns his head to look you straight in the eye. His dirty blond hair was slightly mussed from being unable to really take care of his appearance, but the look is all the same. He does not trust you. Other than the rescue you were paid for, you really haven’t given him a reason to. 

Instead of egging the man on, you merely shrug and reply, “I’m doing nothing of the sort. Erwin can leave whenever he wants. He’s a big enough boy to make his own damn decisions.”

Mike smirks and shrugs his shoulders. He stays silent for quite a while before he suddenly says, “Adults make wrong decisions all of the time. Unfortunately, in Dunwall, the wrong choice can kill you. Erwin may or may not have his own designs for staying here, that’s his own business.” Mike stops for a moment before continuing, “Not to put blame on you, but I’m not an idiot. You reek of the Outsider.” He look back towards Hanji, mulling over his words. “I didn’t become part of the Abbey for fun and whether people actually speak to that thing or not, the fact is that the cult creates more problems than what Dunwall needs right now.”

You’re quiet and can understand what he’s getting at. Many of those who say they follow the Outsider end up not being in their right mind. You know of men and women who have met and spoken to the Outsider, who seem to live normal lives despite the mark giving them dark powers. Then there are those who’ve deluded themselves into thinking with enough hope and “conjuring” they could make contact with him. Many of those types might have already been on the road to madness by the time they’ve actually become followers. Then there are those who do horrible things in the Outsider’s name. Those were the types of people you had to watch out for.

All in all, you’d have to agree with him. 

“Dunwall is drowning in its own shit. People can say it’s the Outsider’s influence, but things have been going downhill for a while now. As much as it pains me to say it, the Outsider isn’t responsible for much of anything. It’s humanity’s warped minds. I mean, if I have to find one more semen-covered--”

“Semen-covered what?”

You almost jump at the sound of Hanji’s excitedly interested voice. She’s standing behind you, leaning against the wall.

“Go on! This is disgustingly interesting!”

Mike starts laughing as you feel your face warm up a bit. You’re a bit mad at your ears for not picking up the sound of her coming up behind you.

“Bone charms.”

“People cover those charms in semen?” 

You don’t want to think about why her face seemed to have this interested glow about it. Finding that shit always made you feel sick to your stomach, but the charms were worth something of value to you, so you’d take them back, wrapped in a cloth you’d soak in sea water before trying to a clean them off as best you could. You didn’t like to dwell on the process as long as the things were clean and usable.

“Semen, blood… some other bodily fluids. People think it’ll call the Outsider to them.” Mike finishes for you. Hanji turned her attention to him, clucking her tongue as she walked over to his end of the table.

“I wonder why they think something like that’d work.” She murmured as she kneeled down to take a closer look at the man’s propped up leg. She unravelled the bandages, humming a bit until the wound was uncovered, “You’ve got one hell of a bruise going on here, but it seems like it’s healing pretty well.”

“Other than the space where the kneecap is supposed to be, you mean.”

“Well, now you’ve got battle scars. I’ve heard they’re all the rage in those elite circles. It’ll get right to the top, you know?”

Mike winces as she begins to bandage the wound back up with fresh gauze from a side table, but he replies with a half-smile, “I guess I’ll just have to pull my pant leg up to show off my scars in order to attract everyone, now won’t I?”

“That or dress like a lovely courtesan.” Hanji said with a devious grin. Patting his propped-up thigh lightly once she was finished. “You definitely have the legs for it.”

“Not what I wanted to visualize. Thank you very much.” You say as you push your body slowly to stand. You leave with a wave, ending the conversation with Mike prematurely. As you walk out the door, you find yourself wanting to talk to Erwin. The man had taken to Hanji’s study, reading new reports from the Academy, shying away from everyone.

Mike once mentioned that Erwin preferred to keep to himself when he felt guilty, something he’s done since their early Abbey years. It sort of makes you wonder what events in the past few decade he’s felt responsible for. You’ve decided not to ask him. Some things need to stay personal. 

The door to Hanji’s study is open just a crack. You peep in, checking to see if Erwin is actually in the room.

“You can come in.” A low voice calls from inside, you scoff at how you’ve given yourself away, but enter the room, closing the door behind you. Erwin is currently sitting at a large engraved desk covered with large tomes and papers. It is, quite frankly, a mess. You walk up to it and take a book, glancing at the cover, _“The Dissection of Whales”_ and almost drop the book from your hands.

“You looking at how to cut up whales now?”

Erwin doesn’t glance up from what he’s reading. He’d distracted, you can tell by the tone in his voice when he says, “I’ve known how to do that for years.”

“I’m sure they teach all about that sort of thing in the Abbey, right?”

Erwin looks up and shakes his head. "Bored?"

“I felt the conversation that I had been apart of was going in a direction I didn’t want to be involved in.”

“How so?”

“I don’t want to know about people’s opinions the attractiveness of Mike’s legs.”

“Mike’s legs are probably one of his most redeeming qualities…”

“Ugh. Don’t start. Hanji already had him going and that was enough.”

He laughs, marking his page in the book with the ribbon attached before turning to you. “You want to sit down?”

You shake your head. What you really want is to start going outside again without fear of injuring your back further. Another week or so, Hanji had said, and then you’ll be able to wear your heavy jacket without fear of reopening the wound.

“What are you reading?”

“One of Sokolov’s new articles on Arc Pylon’s. It’s actually quite interesting how they program it to take down specific enemies. Makes you wonder how a machine could differentiate between who may or may not be a threat.”

You snort, “I’ve thankfully never run across those things. At least the Walls of Light are avoidable if you have a good spot to go around it.”

“Arc Pylon’s rarely shoot above themselves. They’d be easy to avoid if you stay above them. Anyway, it’s an interesting bit of work if you’re into technology.”

“Technology with the purpose to murder people.”

“Just because that’s the purpose of it right now doesn’t mean it can’t be used for something else in the future.”

“That is total bullshit and you know it.” You grin at him and he smiles back. “So butchering whales, huh?”

Erwin’s brows knit together for a moment, you realize he had probably said something he hadn’t actually meant to reveal. He looks behind you for as moment, until you realize he’s checking the door. You turn to make sure it’s closed all the way and turn the lock with a metallic click.

He looks at you as he begins, “If you hadn’t already figured out, I’m not from Dunwall.”

You tilt your head. You’ve never really thought about it before. Nothing about the way he’s acted really gave away that he wasn’t from this city. Then again, Dunwall attracted people from all over Gristol, being such a metropolitan hub and all. It shouldn’t surprise you that he wasn’t from around here.

“So? A lot of people arent. The whaling industry takes people from all over and brings them here. The Abbey, too, for that matter.”

Erwin shakes his head. “I get what you mean, but ultimately, Dunwall is what brought me here. But I’m not from Gristol either. I’m Tyvian.”

Now that does surprise you. You’ve never really run into people who’ve come from Tyvia. The country is known for being a cultural center of The Isles. All of the islands are known to import their wine, food and, if Sokolov is any example, their thinkers. Tyvia was also known to be insanely cold. There’s a tale of a Tyvian prison built in a frozen wasteland. It is so cold that it doesn’t have barricades or walls. If a prisoner were to risk the escape and live, they would legally be allowed to live out their lives as a free man or woman. To you, Tyvia was such a foreign place that it seemed unreal. 

To know that Erwin had come from Tyvia only brought up more questions than answers.

“How the hell did you get here then?”

“As I’d said, I’ve seen quite a bit of whale carcasses in my time. Whaling wasn’t exactly my calling…”

“But the Abbey is?” You add the _“Or was…”_ in your head.

He looks at you and grins like he knows what you’re thinking. It irritates you to no end, this vague condescending look he gives you whenever you’re thinking the wrong thing. It doesn’t help that he’s only giving you half of the information you need in order to get the whole picture.

“The Abbey is most definitely a means to an end. Not the perfect choice, but the the best I had at the time.”

You pause for a moment before saying slowly, “You mean, until I came along.”

His smile grows wider, “Precisely.” He brings his arms to the front of his body, linking his fingers together as he stretches his arms out for a moment before standing, the chair creaking from the weight giving way. He walks to the window and looks outside. You stay standing in the same place, leaning against the desk and watching his movements.

He’s a cold calculating bastard, you think. He has his reasons for doing things, you’ve known this for quite a while, but you never saw what your place was in the midst of everything. Mike was half right about the situation. You may have pulled Erwin into whatever this was, but he’s the one subtly controlling the situation.

Either way, as long as it doesn’t mess with the rest of your group, you’ll allow yourself to hang around him.

“What do you plan on doing anyway? The Outsider hasn’t actually visited you, has he?”

Erwin turns to face you, without meeting your eyes. He’s gone over this a lot, you think, as he glances at his fingernails as he tries to put his thoughts into words. He looks up at you once more, determination written all in his motions.

“Have you ever thought about leaving Dunwall?”

You stare at him for about a minute before muttering, “You’re kidding me, right?”

Erwin shakes his head. You feel a slight twist in your gut as he turns away again. You wonder if you’ve said the wrong thing, but he turns back to you and actually begins to move towards you. By instinct you move back, but find yourself leaning back over the desk slightly, so you let up and allow him to stand before you.

You wonder how his presence can be so daunting.

“I’m not. There are things out there that will allow this country to grow. I came to Dunwall and fell for the idea of a strong, blossoming Empire. I’ve watched this country go from prosperity to the wasteland of walking death it’s become. People can’t live here, people don’t want to come here. The elite that have stayed behind are vying to take as much power as possible from those souls that are left. Dunwall is destroying itself…”

“You want to leave.” Your voice echoes quietly from your mouth. Erwin’s speech so passionate about what was wrong with this city, the capital of the Empire. If Dunwall fell, then all semblance of order throughout The Isles would go with it. The Abbey does what it can to maintain order in the streets, but they mostly deal with followers of the Outsider… the City Watch could only do so much to protect what people are left.

“No, I’d never leave. Not permanently.” Erwin answers. His voice is certain, steady. You have no doubt that his words are true. “I want to work to make Dunwall to what it once was.” His voice trails off, his mind wandering to his own inner thoughts. You wonder what he’s getting at when he mentioned leaving. If you had the choice… you’re not sure if you’d take it.

“But…” You urge him to continue.

“The young Empress, Emily. She’s not her mother, not that you can expect someone that young to be. The things she must have gone through after the former Empress’s death… I’m sure it’ll influence her rule. As you know, her mother began her rule young. She was, on the other hand, a bit more prepared for what trials were to come. Then the plague spread and ate the city up from the inside. Now, Emily must clean it up and rebuild. She has time, but politically and socially she is not in a good place. This is espsecially true overseas.”

You’re at a loss on where he’s going with this. You shift your hips up to sit on the desk, your back pushing against the books stacked on the desktop. “So what? What do you plan on doing?”

“Honestly?” Erwin looks away. You could have sworn you heard his voice waver a bit.

It hasn’t gone unnoticed by you that he has been hesitant in telling you his story the whole time. It’s enough to get you to reach out and grab the lapels of his Overseer coat and pull him in. So you do on reflex, pulling his face close to yours making sure his focus is on you only.

In his surprised face, you blurt out, “Just spit it out already. I don’t deal in flighty bullshit.”

You don’t expect him to smile or lean in, resting his forehead against yours with a soft smile. You aren’t expecting it and you’re frozen in place as you feel completely at a loss as to how to react. Fuck it all if you’re blushing, but you wait until Erwin is ready to hear his answer.

“I’m going to offer my services to the Empress and her Royal Protector to ensure the other countries will stay with the Empire.”

You wait a moment thinking about what exactly he means by that statement, but then he breathes in deep and says, “Come with me.” And you, not knowing what exactly you’re getting into, close your eyes also and say, “Of course.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow this took me a lot longer to edit than I had intended! For those waiting for this chapter, thank you for your patience.


	8. Intermission II

Erwin hadn’t noticed that Levi had fallen asleep until he hears the slight rumble of a snore come a the chair in front of the desk. The chair’s back is large enough that it completely hides Levi’s figure from his eyesight. Erwin offered him the seat a few hours ago and he knows for a fact the man hadn’t gone anywhere since. He wonders how he could have gotten so lost in his book that it would have cause his company to fall asleep. Then again, these past couple weeks have been trying for Levi. He wouldn't doubt the man would make use what time he had to rest.

The window Erwin has seated himself at overlooks the river. It’s not a particularly pretty sight, the water is a aglae greenish-brown and the echo of Krusts reverberate against the brick-layered walls. When looking up, he notices the clouds slowly rolling with the wind in the sky. By the look of it, he muses, rain will come to Dunwall soon enough. Erwin likes the rain, the feeling it gives the city when it’s covered in wetness that can’t be shaken with an afternoon sun. The city has been without a good rain fall within these last few months and with the rainy season coming upon them, his heart yearns for that feeling of chill that won’t easily go away.

He blames it on his upbringing, but Erwin has always has an affinity to the cold, damp weather. His mother would bundle him in furs and this wools when he was a child at home. When working in with the whalers, waterproof skins were the preferred fashion with a thick wool layer underneath. When joining the Abbey, the thick black coats were worn like a sigil. While the body may have been warm, he’s always felt a chill while wearing the uniform when volunteering for jobs that took him outside in the rain.

He stands and walks over towards Levi, leaning against the desk, peering at him. Levi is feigning sleep now, Erwin notices. The twitch in his face gives him away, but Erwin allows him to think that he is asleep.He moves just a bit closer, smiling as he sees Levi’s eyes scrounge up just a bit with the change in proximity. Erwin leans towards his ear and stays there for a moment, making sure to breathe just a bit louder than what would be considered normal.

Erwin whispers the words on what would be etched into a rune. A simple incantation, but one Levi would be sure to know. 

Erwin expects his eyes to snap open and for look of surprise, but he’s not expecting to be pulled by his shirt’s lapels to face the man he so rudely awakened.

“What the fuck did you just say?”

The words, no matter how crass, make Erwin’s mind sing with praise on a job well done. He closes his eyes and repeats the phrase, making sure to put the right emphasis on the language he is not supposed to be familiar with.

Levi seems to know that, but instead of demanding for answers he stares at Erwin’s mouth as he forms the words. His eyes are wide and Erwin can tell he is fascinated by what is being said. 

Erwin has no doubt he made the right choice in asking Levi to come with him.

The only tricky part in this was to get an “official” blessing for the project. Not only would being a member of the Abbey put Erwin’s motives into suspect, but the fact that Levi is the leader of a street gang influenced by the Outsider… The Royal Protector or Empress Emily Kaldwin would have no reason to trust them other than with blind faith. Considering what both people had been through within the past two years, blind faith was something they could not afford.

So Erwin changes the topic, rolling the mystical words off his tongue to those of the generic speech of the Isles. He begins to lay out his plans; that they would need support of the crown in order to pull this off, they would need to plea to the Empress and appeal to the Royal Protector, and that this would be the best way to bring the Isles together closer than they have been since over a decade ago. 

“How the hell do you suppose we do that, fearless leader?”

Erwin smiles and shrugs, pointedly looking directly at Levi.

“I’m willing to take a couple risks, but a lot will be riding on your cooperation in the effort.” 

They make eye contact, only to be broken by Levi as he turns away a little with a sigh, “And that will all depend on what you need…”

“I need to get a message to the Royal Protector. Preferably as soon as possible. But as the situation stands, I cannot go outside and you, well…”

“They’re probably trying to track me down after your abduction and your bloodhound’s escape.”

“Precisely.” Erwin pauses a moment, moving to walk towards the window. He sees the clouds in the sky start to darken a few miles to the north. They’ll be in the middle of some rain showers soon. It’s just about the month for it, too. “I was thinking the best people for the job would be a couple of your Rats… and possibly Hanji if I could get her away from her work for a couple of days.”

“You want to use my Rats…”

It wasn’t a question and more of a statement. Erwin nodded as he continued, “Whoever would feel comfortable doing it. I would pay them for their services and, like I mentioned, I am planning for Hanji to go with so they wouldn’t be alone.”

Levi stared straight ahead, staring at the cracks in the wall. The silence, Erwin assumed, meant that the man was merely mulling over his words, thinking things through. He didn’t blame him one bit. In fact, he expects Levi to outright deny putting his group in danger. 

“It’d be up to them.” Levi says slowly to the wall. He turns to look at Erwin and finishes, “But I’ll ask.”

Erwin turns to Levi, a small smile cracking the side of his mouth. The idea that his dream has a possibility of becoming a reality made the feeling of hope wash over him. He doesn’t ask to make sure Levi was certain of his decision. Levi was not the type to say things he didn’t mean. Instead Erwin moves forward and leans over the side of the chair to murmur in Levi’s ear, “Play a game of Nancy then?”

Levi’s mouth twitches just a bit as he nods, “I’m going to wipe the floor with your sorry ass. It’ll get that creepy smile off your face.”

“I can’t wait.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for everyone who's still interested in the story! It's slow going, but I'm still invested in this baby.


	9. VII.

You’ve heard things about Corvo Attano. Some of them were facts. He originally hailed from Serkanos, he was the first foreigner to serve the ruler of The Isles, he was involved in Jessamine Kaldwin’s death were a few tidbits that everyone knew Then there were the almost mythological stories that followed him; he knew black magic, he was the father of Emily Kaldwin (which, to be frank, was probably not that far from the truth…), he was the one who originally kidnapped the young empress… which you found stupid as shit in the end because why bring her back to rule if that were the case.

And now he’s here in front of you, a blade held to Erwin’s throat and a dart aimed at your head.

 _He’s fast_ , you think, _incredibly fast._

You try to think through your situation before everything goes to hell. The reason Corvo is in this little room is because of Erwin’s letter. You wonder faintly about the messenger, hoping the rat you put in place to do the job was still breathing. If he only knew what the letter said then he could probably stave off Corvo’s initial reaction to finding Erwin…

“Levi, it’ll be fine.”

Your body is frozen, staring at the tip of the dart aimed for a lethal kill, waiting for the right moment, but you allow yourself to turn your attention to Erwin. He’s against the wall with a blade only millimeters away from his lifeline. The man’s face is irrationally calm, as if he expected this and you don’t know what pisses you off more, how collected he is or that he knew this would happen.

You growl a bit in the back of your throat, but hold a hand up while sheathing your dagger.

Erwin’s hands have been up in a surrender pose since the Royal Protector appeared before him. He keeps them there as Corvo stands back, keeping his blade out at the ready, but obviously there to listen.

“There, now, I take it you’ve gotten my message?”

Corvo, you assume, isn’t one for chatting. You size him up from your position by the desk. He’s only slightly shorter than Erwin, and leaner, too. He’s wearing the mask that was featured on so many wanted posters in Dunwall, the dark coating with brass gears. For a man who was wanted by the state for so long, you are surprised that he left the young empress wearing that symbol of revenge. 

“I’ll be frank. The sum of it all is that we would like the Empress’ blessing with assisting her in keeping the Isles as one. Dunwall has allies, but with such trying times this city has been put through and the mere matter of the Empress’s age… well, It’s by no means her fault, but faith in the strength of the ruler has been faltering for years between the lands. You must have seen it while asking for assistance with the plague, Master Corvo?”

You stare at Erwin, his voice diplomatic and calm. The man was piece of work, with perfect prose and a level head. Corvo, you can tell, notices this, but decides to keep listening when he responds, “I might have.”

Erwin nods, mindful of the blade. “I propose you use us.”

Corvo sighs deeply, pulling his blade away from Erin’s neck, but keeping it in hand. He’s willing to listen and you join Corvo in watching Erwin work. He’s amazing, in a way, you think. To be able to use his words in such a way, you knew the man was dangerous, but at this time you weren’t sure which man in the room would be considered the most threatening.

Erwin continues, “We’d sail to each land within the Isle as a assurance of good will. To make sure that they are mollified that Gristol, no, Dunwall is not completely fallen to ruin.”

It takes a moment, but Corvo responds, “How do you mean to do this?” 

“Negotiation… force if necessary.”

“A man of the cloth is not going to be seen as a man of goodwill in many of these countries, you understand.”

You wonder if it’s a trick of your eyes, but you swear you see Erwin looking sullen for a moment before a smirk grows out of the corner of his mouth. “I’d say by now, my status within the Abbey has been revoked. I’m back to being a man of the general public, willing to work for the personal cause that caused me to join them to begin with.”

Corvo hums to himself, stepping back slightly, his knife still ready for anything. You wonder if he’ll falter, this man of urban legend, then again, he wouldn’t be much of legend if he did.

“A man with nothing to lose is the most dangerous type of man.”

The air suddenly seems to get thick with tension. Erwin stands firm, but you watch Corvo for any sudden movements. Corvo took the mark of the Outsider when he had nothing left, as most people believe. Erwin’s situation is not the same, but makes sense. The man would now considered an outcast of the Abbey, which means that throughout the Isles the Abbey will be on the lookout for him. The Abbey is a relentless force and since he not only left unscathed, but with another official… they were not happy with the outcome.

You can’t help but realize Corvo is speaking to Erwin in another language.

Not literally, but the look the two share in that moment seem to say that there is some sort of modicum of trust through being mutual outcasts. Their situations were completely different, but Corvo sheaths his blade and holds out a hand, his left hand.

You move as fast as you can and in a blink you’re in between the Royal Protector and Erwin. The former’s hand bumping into your chest. Erwin makes some weird coughing noise in surprise, but you stare at Corvo. _Corvo’s not an idiot_ , you think, _he’ll get the idea_ , you hope.

Corvo looks at you, his face betraying surprise as his eyes bore into your intentions. You hold up you left hand, showing the bright glow of the mark. You’re not going to attack, but you will not allow the mark to touch Erwin. As if just realizing what he had done, Corvo moves his left hand away slowly and holds out the right instead, Erwin notices the change and also switches hands. 

They shake next to your head. 

\---

“Corvo will let us know when it will be alright to leave. I’m glad Hanji is well and it must be a relief to know your messengers are safe.”

“Petra and her entourage can take care of themselves.”

Erwin nods and takes a sip of coffee. You’re watching him as he leafs through a few books. He’s getting ready to leave, you think in the back of your mind. You haven’t bothered telling your Rats about the departure yet. It’ll be the last time you will see them under your protection and guidance. You would like to prevent that farewell as long a possible. Without a set date, there was no reason to worry.

“We’ll be leaving during the Month of Rain.” You mutter, as you feel a wave of unease wash over you. You’ve never been out to Sea from what you can recall. The rains in Dunwall fluctuate between the light while they could cause the City to shut down for days on end. Flooding was nothing new to those who lived on the streets, but with flooding in the districts, there were always places to go to be warm and dry.

The ocean doesn’t provide that sort of comfort. 

The mark betrays a faint glow and you look down at it, thinking of the Outsider. He is the embodiment of the ocean and it’s power. The ocean had a fickle temperament, but that didn’t traversed it daily, but that didn’t mean the trails were safe.

“You’ve never been to sea?”

The question was innocent enough, but you know that Erwin was probing to take your stance on it. You’d never verbally admit to it, but you were worried. For yourself, your Rats and Erwin.

“Never.”

Erwin hummed to himself, thinking over his words. He was not nonplussed about the idea of traveling the Islands. Sure, he had admitted to being a whaler at one point, but that did not mean that experience lessened the dangers at sea. Actually, you’re very certain that Erwin was quite excited about the upcoming excursion.

“The heavier rains don’t pick up right away. By that time we will be in Serkanos.”

He’s still flipping through books, looking at mapped illustrations and their captions. He’s engrossed in this whole affair and in a weird turn, you are too. 

“I’ll follow you.”

You make the words known out loud. You don’t recall if you’ve ever really said them so bluntly, but by the way Erwin’s attention is now on you, you realize that it probably was never said outright. You meet his eyes and add, “I know I’ll be cursing your sorry ass the whole trip, but I will follow you.”

A grin breaks out on Erwin’s face and he breathes the word, “Wonderful.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slowly, but surely I'm getting something to put here. It's hard when you're distracted by Pirates, Vikings and Twitch Plays Pokemon!


End file.
